National Cemetery

On July 21, 1905, one of the USS Bennington's boilers exploded, killing 49 sailors. Almost immediately after the accident, surviving crew and fellow sailors donated funds to build a monument at the grave site for their fallen comrades. This burial ground would later become Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Sending Memorial Day greetings! Over a century ago, the craze for penny postcards with a pretty picture introduced a fast, affordable means to communicate. Like Instagram. Decoration or Memorial Day was a very popular and patriotic greeting theme—depicted with flags, flowers, and veterans. Explore deltiology through a sampling of holiday postcards from the NCA History Collection.

In early 1880, a journalist visited the monumental National Cemetery Gateway Arch at Chattanooga National Cemetery in Tennessee as it was nearing completion. He came away impressed.

National cemeteries originated out of necessity during the American Civil War. In the summer of 1862, as casualties mounted at an alarming rate, Congress empowered President Abraham Lincoln to purchase and enclose burial plots as national cemeteries to inter the growing number of Union dead. These cemeteries were managed by superintendents, some disabled Civil War Veterans. To house them, Brig. Gen. Montgomery Meigs came up with what was later named the "Meigs Plan," the design for permanent lodges to house the superintendents.

Nine individuals in U.S. history have obtained the five-star general officer rank, all but one directly on account of their World War II service. Only one of this select group, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, is interred in a VA national cemetery.

The first permanent informational plaques placed in national cemeteries after the Civil War were affixed to upright cannons to brand these sites as a shrine to Union dead. These bronze shield plaques were installed after a 1872 report and served as early monuments to Union dead from the Civil War at national cemeteries.

Since Memorial Day was instituted in 1868 (initially as Decoration Day), this event at the end of May became an opportunity to dedicate new monuments in national cemeteries. National Cemetery Administration Senior Historian Sara Amy Leach details some of the approximately 100 monuments dedicated on this holiday.